1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to screening an image, and, more particularly, to a method, apparatus and system for performing an intelligent scanning of an image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many developments have been introduced in the arena of deciphering data, including text data, from various sources, such as computer screens, books, newspapers, personal data assistants (PDAs) and the like. Various scanning hardware and software/have been offered to scan text from various media. There are several reasons to employ scanning devices that scan text or other data. For example, remote access to text may be received through scanning devices. A person who is researching in a library may find it beneficial to scan an image, text, graphics, or a combination thereof, to perform efficient research. Other important uses include enabling those with various disabilities to access information from newspapers, computer screens, books, etc. One major use of scanning devices includes scanning of text for display as audio files for those with vision impairments.
Current scanning devices, such as computer screen readers, allow a person to skip various portions of an image for the purposes of scanning or perusing through a particular block of text to determine whether a closer examination of the text would be desirable. It is often desirable to skim through various blocks of text to more efficiently decipher the content of the block of text. Various screen readers generally enable a person to skip paragraphs, skip lines, or perform word level skipping, such that a person with vision impairment may skip various portions of the text before deciding whether to delve more deeply into the content of the text. Therefore, using state-of-the-art readers, a person can skip a predetermined block of text (e.g., a paragraph, a line, a page, etc.), while examining some portions in an attempt to decipher a general concept of the text. However, a person may inadvertently miss several key concepts relating to a particular document by skipping various blocks of text. This could prove to be an inefficient method of scanning through vast amounts of data to determine if a closer examination of the content of the data would be desirable. This problem would also apply to a person performing research in a library. A person sifting through large amounts of text would benefit from an efficient method of deciphering the major contents of a block of text without have to read all of the available material in the library. This person may desire a brief synopsis of the content of a block of text before deciding to delve deeper.
One problem associated with state-of-the-art implementation of scanning devices, such as screen readers, includes the fact that they generally skip blocks of text as predetermined by a user. This presents a problem since some text may be heavily formatted, such as web displays on the World Wide Web or other Internet or Intranet sources, or various library resources. Often, simply skipping blocks of text or data may not provide an efficient synopsis of a particular block of text. Therefore, it could become cumbersome and inefficient for a person with vision impairment to decipher or decide whether to examine a particular text more closely, based upon the scanning provided of the text. Sometimes the point of interest of a particular set of data or text may get lost in the implementation of state-of-the-art scanning/reading devices. Without resorting to ad hoc skipping of predetermined blocks of text, the reader may desire to peruse all of the text that could affect productivity. Also, as mentioned above, scanners that may be employed in libraries to assist a person conduct a major research project who may require quick synopses of a large portion of text that may be heavily formatted, can be cumbersome and inefficient. State-of-the-art scanners may not provide an accurate or efficient understanding of the text being scanned, therefore, reducing the efficiency in research.
The present invention is directed to overcoming or at least reducing one or more of the problems set forth above.